role-playing games – The Gaming News Corner

Bethesda stands firm against Wolfenstein Protest

Recently, Bethesda has been marketing Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus as an anti-Nazi game. It falls in line with the theme of BJ Blazkowicz overthrowing the Nazi Regime in an alternate timeline America in 2014 where The New World Order (Nazis) have taken over the United States.

Wolfenstein as a series has always been about fighting Nazis and even the hashtag created for the game is #NoMoreNazis. Peter Hines, the head of Marketing and VP of PR for Bethesda is very aware of current events in America.

“Wolfenstein has been a decidedly anti-Nazi series since the first release more than 20 years ago. We aren’t going to shy away from what the game is about. We don’t feel it’s a reach for us to say Nazis are bad and un-American, and we’re not worried about being on the right side of history here.”

Hines also states the release of the game has no relation regarding the recent Nazi issues in America. The game has been in development for two years and “it, unfortunately, happens to highlight current events in the real world.” Hines states that Bethesda doesn’t make game regarding the current political issue but “We make games that we think are fun, meaningful, and immersive for a mature audience.” The trailer below sparked comments about anti-Nazi commercials.

Make America Nazi-Free Again. #NoMoreNazis #Wolf2 pic.twitter.com/52OESypw4P

— Wolfenstein (@wolfenstein) October 5, 2017

The marketing against Nazism has stirred controversy regarding the game. People on social media have complained to Bethesda regarding Wolfenstein. Hines continues to defend the message against Nazism and most of the tweets are all about promoting different methods of killing the Nazi enemies in the game. While Hines and Bethesda may be a little worried about alienating potential customers he has stated: “to be honest, people who are against freeing the world from the hate and murder of a Nazi regime probably aren’t interested in playing Wolfenstein.”

Another statement Hines said on how powerful Games can be as a platform.

“Their ability to immerse players in an alternate role, in an alternate world, like Wolfenstein’s Nazi-infested America, allows players to actually feel and experience the emotions of the situation.

I’m very impressed that Bethesda and Hines had stood firm on its statements against Nazism. Many companies tend to apologize for representatives remarks or actions to appease outcry but Hines gave a very professional response in regards to Wolfenstein message and overall theme of the game. Hines also acknowledges the power games can have as an art medium. They have the unique ability to immerse players into alternative settings and give a sense of control.

Sources:

Gameindustry.biz

Swery pushes forward on Cat RPG: The Good Life

Hidetaka “Swery” Suehiro refuses to back down despite his low support on crowdfunding his new Cat RPG: The Good Life. The game is planned to be a combination of murder mystery, pet simulator and role-playing game. The project currently sits at 19% of its crowdfunding goal on Fig. Their set goal is $1,500,000. As of October 3rd, 2017 they stand at$293,017 with 8 days remaining.

“Originally and even now I have been concerned, of course,” Swery said about the project’s struggle to bring in backers when Polygon spoke with him during TGS “I’m not going to give up, though. There’s no way. I’m going all the way through to the end.”

This is Swery’s first project with his new studio: White Owl. It involves a story revolving around a New York-based photographer, Naomi, who moves to an English village regarding a murder. Your investigation earns you money. Depending on how much money you earn, you’ll be treated differently by the NPC’s. Also, the townspeople and yourself turn into cats or dogs at night and nobody knows why. Its known in the game as “This is the happiest town in the world.” and “We’re the happiest people on the planet.” (I would love to be a dog or a cat tbh)

The game is being crowdfunded through Fig which is considered a controversial crowdfunding site. Unlike Kickstarter, investments in the game development give you Fig Game Shares; meaning you will earn a profit depending on how much the game sells. However, the game must sell at least 2 million units at a $60 to earn any money back. Investors are not guaranteed any funds unless the game earns a unspecific amount of revenue. The investments are not secured by SEC (Securities And Exchange Commission) meaning they aren’t legal investments and have to be reviewed by the government before receiving any money back. The SEC’s primary function is to oversee organizations and individuals in the securities markets, including securities exchanges, brokerage firms, dealers, investment advisors and various investment funds. Through established securities rules and regulations, the SEC promotes disclosure and sharing of market-related information, fair dealing and protection against fraud.

The site is backed by Fig’s advisory board, which includes Double Fine head Tim Schaefer and Obsidian Entertainment co-founder Feargus Urquhart.

Swery has stated that “The guys at Fig did something really nice, in that they only choose something that has been very exclusively selected,” he said. “Only high-quality people are chosen to be able to fund and be part of the project.”

Crowdfunding ends on October 12th.

Opinion:

There is no way this game is gonna reach its goals. Although his games are cult-classics, they never sell well enough to warrant sequels or reach a wide audience. A goal of $1,500,000 is absurd for any game that he has produced. Even on Ps3 and Xbox 360, Deadly Premonition made less than half a million dollars globally. He even admits that the game had no “economic success.” To even put it on Fig, a site which most people have not heard of or disapprove of their style of funding makes Swery’s goal even less probable. It also doesn’t help that The Good Life looks ugly graphically. Swery’s games have never looked graphically impressive but to ask for $1.5 million for something like that is ridiculous.

Sources:

Best of TGS 2017

Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2017 was a great show for PlayStation. This show is directed towards Japan’s audience and many Japanese RPG games were shown. Standout winner for TGS is Square-Enix. Here are the highlight games from the show:

Left Alive:

A new Role-Playing Game from Square-Enix is a Dystopia Mech Robot game. Fans of Japanese mecha series will be excited as the game is being produced by Front Mission series’ Shinji Hashimoto, directed by the Armored Core series’ Toshifumi Nabeshima, and featuring character designs by the Metal Gear series’ Yoji Shinkawa. Some Wanzer (mecha) designs will be done by Mobile Suit Gundam 00‘s Takayuki Yanase.

You’ll play and switch between three protagonists. Left Alive is a survival based shooters revolving around gunplay and traps. The world setting is actually between Front Mission 5 and Front Mission Evolved. Progression in the story is determined by the player and there are several different outcomes that can affect the one main ending. You won’t be able to customize your Wazer but you can customize weapons with materials. It is stated to be an offline experience with some online experience that hasn’t been explained yet. If you’re a fan of the Front Mission series, Producer Shinji Hashimoto: “We wanted to make a Front Mission with a new lineup. We started this new title to see Front Mission in a slightly different perspective. Square Enix wanted to convey the feeling that we cherish Front Mission.” Left Alive is planned for a 2018 release.

Monster Hunter: World

Fans of Monster Hunter will finally have their mainstream console hunting game. Set for January 26th, 2018 release. The game will obviously include new monsters and environments. Pukei-Pukei and Nergigante, as well as the Coral Highlands stage and Astera, the base of operations for the Research Commission, are new areas show in the trailer.

For $69.99, the Deluxe Digital edition will come with the game, Samurai Set skin, three gestures, two sticker sets, plus an extra face paint and hairstyle option for the hunter. The PS4 deluxe edition will also come with 14 Weapon Avatars. The Physical Edition is $149.99 and comes with everything above and 32 hard page art book, monster statue, and a digital soundtrack.

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain

You’ve probably heard of the Earth Defense Force series before and may have found a few copies at random game stores. There are currently 4 main releases and a 5th one coming this December in Japan. Iron Rain is set to release in 2018 which features a dark tone for the series although it still revolves around humans fighting giant ants, robots, and aliens with guns and mechas.

Final Fantasy IX:

Final Fantasy IX has been released for the PlayStation 4 today worldwide. It is a higher resolution version with improved cutscenes and character models, trophy support, and cheats that allow you to skip random battles, high-speed mode, and master all abilities for armors and weapons, and give you max levels, magic stones for summons, and gil. The cheat options are great for players who’ve finished FF9 (like myself). There is currently a deal for US PlayStation store for the game. The price is $16.79 and includes several avatars and a PlayStation Theme until September 26th.

Sources:

Gematsu 2
Polygon 2

TLDW: Nintendo Direct 9.13.2017 for Nintendo Switch

This article will cover all Nintendo Switch games shown during the Nintendo Direct. To check out the 3DS news, click here!

Quick Jumps
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Splatoon 2
Fire Emblem Warriors
Snipperclips
Morphies Law
Rocket League
Bethesda
Arcade Archives Mario Bros
Pokken Fighter DX
Square-Enix
Arms
Kirby Star Allies
Sonic Forces
L.A. Noire
Mario Odyssey

Xenoblade Chronicles 2:

Release date: December 1, 2017. The world of Alrest is covered in a sea of clouds (San Francisco?) which contains Titans. People have created towns on these Titans and there’s a World Tree. The World Tree’s top is the perfect “world” where land and resources are plentiful. Each land has their specific trope: Militaristic, Religious, Nature-based, traders, and obvious evil group. There is an uneasy war over the Xenoblade and a being known as Aegis. Each faction is against one another and has different interest.

You play as Rex, a scavenger, who agrees to take Pyra, a mysterious girl, to her goal. You’ll traverse the different Titans and fight with Drivers (frontline fighters) and Blades (Staunch Support). The battle system is a 3D free fight base. You can move around the environment and can equip different Blades who will provide different abilities and equipment. You’ll have to find cores and release them to find new ones and you won’t know which Blade you’ll get until you break it open. Blades are split into 3 types: Attack, Defender, and Healer. You can swap them accordingly but you can only bring 3 into battle. The special edition of the game will come with a CD soundtrack, a metal case, and a 220-page art book!

Splatoon 2 Update:

Kelp Dome, Snapper Canal, and a new weapon: Tenta Brella which acts as a shield before launching out and shooting ink. Kelp Dome releases September 15th.

Fire Emblem Warriors:

Release date: October 20th, 2017. Lynn from Fire Emblem: The Blading Blade will make her appearance. A special edition will come with a premium character card set, 3 CD tracks, and a dual sided poster. Plus there are two new Amiibos.

Snipperclips Plus: Cut it out Together:

Release date: November 10th, 2017. A physical edition of the Snipperclips game. It will come with all the same stages of the original game plus 30 new puzzles. There will be two new worlds: a comic and toy store world. They also included a new game mode where you have to solve the original stages but you are forced with a random starting shape. Snipperclips was a cult classic and a surprisingly fun new entry. If you’ve missed it before I recommend waiting for this version. If you own the original game, don’t worry. All these content is DLC so you won’t have to buy the new version.

Morphies Law:

Release date: Winter 2017. A team based 3rd person shooter but the unique aspect is the changing size of your characters. Your parts will enlarge when shooting enemies and you’ll shrink if you’re shot. Size affects the way your character moves around. You can even shoot your teammates to shrink them down as a strategy. Plus you get a grappling hook. Your goal is to have the biggest avatar. A unique concept but it is only multiplayer.

Rocket League:

Release date: Holiday 2017. The Switch version will come with wireless multiplayer so you can play it on the go and bring it to a friend’s house. There will be unique Nintendo cars and top hats. It’ll come with all the game modes currently out. If you haven’t played it yet, it is a fun party game but can also be intense versus game.

Bethesda:

The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

Release date: November 17th. Its Skyrim but on the go. You can wear Breath of the Wild clothes. There is no mod support so I recommend playing on any other console.

Doom and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus:

The release date for Doom: Holiday 2017. All the DLC will be free but will not include the SnapMap feature. If you buy the physical version, you’ll need to download the multiplayer for free. The release date for Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus: 2018. Wow, a super hard rated M game for Nintendo. This is a great step for making Nintendo look like more than a children’s game console since the launch of the Wii.

Arcade Archives Mario Bros:

Release Date: September 27th, 2017. Old school Nintendo games that will include some easter eggs that are unique to this version. If you missed playing some old school classic arcade games, then this is an interesting buy.

Pokken Fighter DX:

Release date: September 22nd, 2017. It’ll come with all the arcade exclusive characters that were only in Japan. A Pokemon fighting game. If you missed it on the Wii U, now you can pick it up for the Switch.

Square Enix:

Project Octopath Traveler (Pending title name):

A new Square-Enix RPG exclusively for the Switch. You play as 8 characters where you explore the world openly and each has a unique story. Each character has a unique talent that can affect certain characters. For example, the warrior can challenge other warriors and the dancer can allure people. Each character has the talent to push the story forward. The art style is 8-bit characters with beautiful CGI backgrounds. They named is HD-2D. The fighting style is similar to Bravely Default, another JRPG by Square-Enix since it is made by the same developers. It is turn based but comes with a new Boost system. Building the Boost Points allow you to spend them on attacks, healing, and the ability to hit weak points or chain attacks. You can download the demo now and please fill out the survey if you want to give feedback on the game. This is important to improve the future release.

Dragon Quest Builders:

Release date: Spring 2018. A Dragon Quest game that focuses on building around the land and fighting monsters. Originally released for the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4, Dragon Quest Builders for the Switch will give you a Saber Tooth cub to ride and gather material by killing monsters.

Lost Sphear:

Release date: January 23rd, 2018. A new Square-Enix JRPG. Made by their JRPG studio. It plays similar to Chrono Trigger where you can combine your allies moves and placement of the enemies matter!

Arms V3:

Release date: Now! A new update will have the new clown ARMS fighter: Lola Pop. Her arms are trick oriented and have unique properties compared to the older Arms characters. It’ll also come with a new stage! You can also switch the controls based on how you like it.

Kirby Star Allies:

Release date: Spring 2018. A new Kirby game for the Switch. Rather than just absorbing enemies, you can befriend them with your hearts. They will fight along side you and Kirby can combine their powers to create unique power ups such as ice swords or even a hot air bomb! Also, King Dedede is buff so that’s a selling point. You can play cooperatively with a friend.

Sonic Forces:

Release date: November 7th, 2017. A new 3D Sonic game. You can play as Sonic, his friends, or even create your own. Despite being a “3D” Sonic game, the majority of it is played in 2D just like the classic games.

L.A. Noire

Release date: November 14th, 2017. This version will come with all the DLC, new camera angles, a Joy-con mode, and touch screen feature. It’s pretty much a port of the original game. If you’ve missed it before, now is your chance to doubt those scummy criminals and discover the truth.

Super Mario Odyssey:

Release date: October 27th, 2017. Joined by Cappy from the Capworld, Mario must save Princess Peach and Cappy’s sister Tiara. Cappy can become a platform, clear environments, and capture enemies! Mario can take over enemies, animals, and objects.

You’ll travel new worlds such as New Donk City in the Metro Kingdom, Tostarena in the Sand Kingdom, Mount Volbono in the Luncheon Kingdom, Steam Garden in the Wooden Kingdom, Bonneton in the Cap Kingdom, Fossil Falls in the Cascade Kingdom, Shiveria in the Snow Kingdom and Bubblaine in the Seaside Kingdom. You’ll travel in a big hat called the Odyssey which is powered by Power Moons which you’ll need to gather around the kingdoms. If you enjoy collecting, then this is definitely a key feature for you. You can find them hidden away or even during boss fights. There will be mini games scattered around the worlds and you can earn Power Moons through there and even compare high scores around the world!

A store in the game called Crazy Caps allows you to change your outfit depending on how many coins you earn. You can even decorate your Odyssey ship! Of course, with the ability to customize your look, you can even take snapshots in the game. You can even customize and edit your photos and upload it online.

Source:

Nintendo